New browser tweaks Chrome security

The open source engine that forms the basis for Google's Chrome has spawned an ostensibly new browser, Comodo's cleverly named 'Dragon'.

Internet Explorer might be the most used, Firefox the most fashionable and Google allegedly the fastest, but firewall and tools outfit Comodo says that its new browser has enough tweaks to make it marginally the most secure.

Based on Chromium project code, Dragon can give warnings regarding the type of SSL digital site certificate and whether any present provide enough security. In the case of domain SSL certificates, which can be bought through a wide range of agencies around the globe, the answer is almost certainly not.

The browser is also configured to transfer as little data to websites as possible, in particular on software errors the company says would normally be transmitted for troubleshooting purposes. This could betray a user's browsing history.

Although identical to Google's Chrome in terms of look and feel, delving into the options tab reveals this subtly different outlook. The crash report checkbox found in Chrome is missing, although it has to be said that the latter can be unchecked on the former and is not mandatory. The other security features such as control over cookies are all from Chrome.

Despite its worthy tweaks, in truth Dragon looks more like a branding exercise than a real advance for browsers. Its user base is likely to remain tiny. The choice is still about Internet Explorer v Mozilla v the upstart Chrome and perhaps for a different code base, Opera.

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